Continuous-molding apparatus.



'm1' Patented July 11, 1911.

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1. V. 111111011111111.' CONTINUOUS MOLDING APPARATUS. 1AP1LIOTION EIL'ED JAN. 26

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-APPLIOATIUN FILED JAN.26,1911.

-Patented July 11, 1911.

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Patelited July 11,'1911 I. v. MA'GLEAN. l vCONTINUOUS MLDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.26, 1911.

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IRAV. MACLEAN, oF CANTON, oHIo, AssiGNoia or oN'E-FZIFTH To WILLIAM o.

' LAIB'LIN, or CANTON, H'Io.'

-ooNTiNUoUs-MOLDING. APPARATUS.

. Application area January 26, 1911. serial No. o4,'se4.

specification of Letters raient;

Patented J ulyll, 1'911 -(,/ontiiiuousfMolding Apparatus, ot which 4the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus adapted for molding or casting metalsand especially to a form ofsuch apparatus wherein the'operation of molding,

is continuous, the work requiring the attention of the minimum number of operators, the output being increased in quantity and the costotn production correspondingly-lessrlhe advantages of machine molding where .it is desired to produce a large number of duplicate castings of uniform quality vinl the most expeditious and economical* mannerJ are well known to those skilled in the art and need not vbe specially pointed out. In an apparatus for machine molding which yis continuous in its operation the above mentioned advantages are greatly increased, as will be apparent.

Heretofore apparatus for machine mold.

, ing adapted for continuous,`or substantially continuous operation has been devised, but such apparatus has, in many cases. been expensive and complicated and of such -a nature that occasional minor' accidentsV in the preparation of .the molds, the pouring of the metal, and the like have too greatly interrupted and interfered with the working of the"'entire device and correspondingly reduced the output. In additionto this defect such apparatus has in many cases been so constructed as to be subject to numerous accidents and breakdowns with- ,in itself, which renders many of the .sug-

gested forms of construction entirely` unfit 'for practical use. Simplicity and durability in construction, low cost of construction, lmaintenance, foperation and production, and assurance of practically continu-v ous operation are prime requisites for a. suci cessful continuous molding apparatus.

The objects ot my invention are to 4generally improve devices of the character mentioned, especiallyk in the attainment of the prime requisites just named,and to so construct a continuous` molding apparatus that. the same can be used vfor various castings In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan viewA of the molding and pouring end ofthe apparatus. -Fig. 2 is a plan View, being a continuation .ot Fig. 1 and showing the middle or cooling run-way portion of the device. Fig. 31s aplan view, being a continuation of Fig. 2 and showing the shaking-out and cleaning endof the device. Fig. 4 is a side elevation ofthat portion of A the apparatus shown inFig. 1, said view being taken on the line -4 4 of Fig. 1l and .showing some parts in section. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of. that`p0rtion of the `apparatus shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a side elevation ofthat portion of vthe apparatus shown in Fig. 3, said view being taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3, and showing some' parts in section. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary- View showing'a side elevation of the pattern car drop at the end of the molding table, said view being taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a transverse section on the line 8 8 of Figs. 1 and 4. Fig. 9 is a transverse section-on'tlie line 9 9 of Figs. 1 and 4. Fig. 10 is a transverse section on the line 10 10 of' Figs. Q and 5. Fig.` 11 is a vtransverse section on the line 11 11 of Figs. 3 and 6. Fig. 12 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line v12 12 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 13 is a vertical transverse section on` the line 13 13 of Fig. 4.

'Throughout the several views similar reference numerals indicate similar parts.

In general the apparatus herein disclosed may be said to consist of a longitudinally disposed molding section, where Vthe molds are prepared and which section has connection at the end thereof with two longitudinally disposed parallel tracks leading rst through the pouring section, thence for a i considerable length along the cooling runways or cooling section, and ultimately to the shakingout andl cleaning section, the

` various sections being arranged in longitudinal series asmentioned, and being preferably arranged in a straight line. For clearL ness of description that end of the appa* ratus where the molds are prepared will be mentioned as the rear end, while that end where the molds are shaken out will be men t-ioned as the front end. A further statement of the general characteristics of my apparatus should include mention of the fact that in the device the pattern cars travel over a single vertically disposed pattern car loop, the upper side of which passes longitudinally over the molding table, at the front end of which the said loop meets the rear ends of two vertically disposed run-way loops arranged'parallel with each other and on which bottom-board cars travel.` The fiasks however travel through a more extended vertieal loop than either of those mentioned. They travel outwardly toward the front-end of the device on the bottomboard cars, returning on the under side of the bottom-board run-way loops to the rear.

ends of said run-ways, whence the flasks themselves pass onward to the rear end of the molding table, are placed upon said pattern cars, qand are carried forwardly along said molding table, thus causing said iasks to complete loops which are of a length equal to the combined length of the pattern ear and bottomboard car loops. A

In the present specification unnecessary description of details where no claim of invention is made by the applicant will be avoided, as it is believed 'that more general mention of those parts ofthe apparatus well known and readily understood by those skilled in the art is desirable.

More specifically describing the apparatus illustrated in the drawings, the numeral 1 supported the molding table track proper 2. This'track extends from the point 3 to the point4. Beyond the point 4 is a short continuation of the track 2 upon the pat-tern ear drop 5. This drop comprises means for holding the short length of track thereon in the position illustrated in' Fig. 7 where it is continuous with the track 2, said means however being so constructed as to permit the drop to swing upon the pivotal point' 6 so as to bring the track on said drop-into the inclined position shown in dotted lines in Asaid Fig. 7 which will bring the rear end of the track of said drop into'alinement with the lower pattern car return track 7 which runs parallel with the track 2 and under the same back to the rear end of the device at 8.

Extending rearwardly from the end 3 of the track 2 are the rails 9, said rails are adapted to move laterally from eachother so as to widen the space between said rails,

as will hereinafter more fully appear and a suitable lift operated by the air cylinder 10 or equivalent means is arranged to pick up a pattern car from the rear end of the track 7, raise it vertically while the rails 9 are in their spread position, and lower said car upon the rails 9 after they have been brought back to their normal relative position in alinement with the rails of the track 2. It will thus be understood that a pattern car, -having been so raised and arranged upon the rails 9vmay move forwardly alonv the rails 2 to the drop 5 where it is lowere to the track 7, runs backwardly by reason ofthe downward inclination of said track 7 tothe point 8, whence it may be raised by the car lift just described, each pattern car in its movements thus complet-ing a vertically disposed pattern car loop;

The pattern cars shown in the drawings are indicated by thereference characters 11c I..

and 11d, those cars numbered 11c bearing lthe patterns for copes and those ears numbered 111 bearing the patterns for the drags. The details of construction of said pattern cars are immaterial, said cars being however preferably provided with wheels adapted to run along the rails of the pattern car loop and the patterns being detachably fastened to the said cars in such way that when it is desired to change the style of castings produced by the apparatus the old patterns may be removed from said pattern cars and new patterns fastened in their places. As shown in the drawings it is preferable to arrange the pattern cars on the pattern car loop so that there may be two drag pattern cars followed-by two cope pattern ears, in' turn followed by two drag pattern cars, etc., the drag and cope pattern cars being arranged in pairs of two and the pairs alternat-ing. The purpose of this arrangement will hereafter more fully appear.

The, molding table track proper is arranged in what may be termed the longitudinal median line of the apparatus and on both sides of said track are arranged the flask return belts 12a and 12b which constitute continuously moving carriers adapted V to transport empty flasks from the returned bottom-board cars at the front end of the molding section of the apparatus to the rear end thereof, where the copes and drags of said asks are separately raised from said return belts and arranged upon the pattern cars. For the purpose of raising said parts of said iasks and placing them upon said pattern cars the air lift 13 or its equivalent is provided, which air lift is adapted to travel upon a transversely arranged overhead track 14 extending entirely across the belts 12a and 12b so that said lift may be brought .to a position over either belt for the purpose of lifting the cope or drag therefrom as.the oase may be and carrying said part to the molding table where -it mayl be deposited upon a wait-ing pattern car. I

In Fig` LLit will be noted that a pattern car without cope or drag thereon is upon the rails 9, while immediately to the front of said rails stands a pattern car 11d bearing a drag, the same having `been deposited.

tion Ifor the operation of ramming whichis vperformed byaset of mechanlcal rainmers 20,

17. Passingl thence the car moves onto the pattern car drop 5 where the air lift 1S or its equivalent. adaptedl to travel transversely upon the track- 18X lifts the drag, the same being rolled over while it is suspended in the air, and carries the same outwardly and deposits it upon a waiting bottom board car upon one or other of the bottom-board car tracks, .as will be hereinafter more fully described. The pattern cars may be moved along the track 2' by hand, but the preferable construction isthat in which mechanical means is provided for moving said. cars along said track, under the hoppers 15 and 16, said means being however preferably manually controlled, and 5 a continuously moving mechanicalmeans is provided for moving said cars under the ramm'ers and out beyond said rammers substantially to the point 4. where said cars may be moved onto the pattern car drop `5 either manually or by mechanicall means as may' be desired. The construction of such mechanical means, whether' manually con diately returned to the horizontal position v shown in full lines in Fig. 7 ready to revceive the next pattern car from the track 2.

0n bothr'sides of the drop 5 are arranged the bottom-board car lifts 19a and 19. Said lifts are provided with means adapted to engage a returned bot-tom-board car after the empty flask has been stripped from the,

same, as hereinafter described, and raise said car vertically to the height ofthe track 21a or 2lb ofthe bottom-board car loops.

the rails of the tracks 2O2L and 20b and move Above the lifts 19a and 19b are short sectionsof track 20a and 201,3 respectively, the rails.y of which tracks normally register with the-i ends of the rails of the tracks 2121 andl 21?.

The rails of the said tracks 2Oa and 20", howeach other so as to widen the space between l ever, areadapted to move laterally from said rails sufficiently to allowa bottom' board car to be'raised' between the same, the

said rails being adapted to swing together again when said bottom-board car has passed between them so that they will again register with the rails 21 or 21", whereupon the wheels of the bottom-board car may engage therefrom onto the. track 21a or 21b after the lse bottom-board car has received itsdrag and cope. y e

In Fig. 13 isv nlore fully shown the construct-ion permitting the railsof the track 20El to separate or move laterally from each y other. It will be noted by an inspection of said Fig. 13 that. the said rails which constitute a short independent section of track are mounted upon the upper ends of the rail supporting arms 20v which are lpivotcd. at their lowerv ends at QOYr to a stationary support.y The coiled spring 20", lying below the plane of therails 20a and to one end of. l

the device is adapted to hold ther upper ends of the arms 20", with the rails thereon mounted, in the inner position illustrated' in Fig. 13. The inner sides of the arms '20v extend upwardly and inwardly and when a bottom-board car is lifted by the lift-'19 the car will engage the inwardly inclined. edges of the said arms 20v, and as the car is lifted farther upwardlythe said arms`20v' will pivotally move outwardly to permit the car to pass between the upperk ends of said arms and the rails mounted thereon. When said car has been lifted upwardly beyond the said arms 20v and rails thereon the spring Q0x will actto draw the upper ends` of the arms together, thus bringing the rails thereon back to the normal posit-ion and to register with the rails of the track 21a. The bottom-board car `may v then be lowered, whereupon its wheels will be placed- 'upon the rails of the track 20a. thus holding the carat the upper level while permitting thepmovable portion of the lift 19a to return to its lower positionto receivethe next bottom-board car to be lifted. The

vrails 9 hereinbefcre mentioned are similarly ing run-way, shown more generally in Figs. 2 and 5, to the shake-out or extreme front end of the bottom-board car loops.

The pouring platform 22 is indicated in FigJ 1 by a dotted line showing the outline Vof the same, said platform being raised slightly above the general floor level -1 to place the workmen in a better position to pour, the molten metal. To the side of the pouring plat-form are arranged suitable furnaces'or cupolas 23 for supplying molten metal. An over-head ladle track 24 is ar- .ranged in .the form of a loop with a crosssupporting the pouring ladles 26. Suitably mounted and arranged with reference to the location of the molds when in position for pouring are four pneumatically operated top plates 27 which, as well known to those skilled in the art, are used for the purpose of holding down and.v in. place the parts of the molds during the operation of pouring. The tracks-21\and 21b from the lifts 1 9a and 19b to the point 28 are substantiall-y horizont-al. It should be noted however that the bottom-board cars' should be held with one end -elevated during the process of pouring, as shown in Fig. 4;

This may be accomplished. `in any well' known convenient manner.

Mechanical aneans, illustrated drawings as endless chains 29a and 29", are

adapted for automatically intermittently moving the cars-upon the tracks 21a and 21 from the lifts 19a and 19b under the top plates 27 and out to the point 28 where the tracks 21a and 21b begin their inclination. The details of construction of such means is not claimed herein and it is thought unnecessary to more full-y describe it but it should be so arranged and so inter-related with the top plates 27 that the said means and said top plates on both of the tracks 21a and 21b are operated simultaneously, said operation being intermittent. The means should operate to bring the cars, two on each 'track at-one time, under the top plates,

whereupon the top plates should automatically and immediately move Udownwardly into clamped position, when the molds on thefour cars then on the platform should be poured, whereupon the intermittent moving means .will again start,- releasing the top plates from the molds, lifti'ng said top plates,- and moving the four poured molds upon their respective bottom-board cars forwardly toward the inclined run-way, at the same time bringing two new molds on each track intol position under the top' plates,

when the operation just ldescribed may be in the repeated. From the point 28 up the inclined tracks 2 1a and 21b to the point 30 the bottom-board cars with the pouredv molds thereon .are steadily and slowly moved by' continuously moving chains 31a and 31b or their equivalents. The means for moving the*V bottom-board cars over the pouring platform and for alternately operating the top plates 27 is controlled and operated by the said chains 31a and 31".

While moving up the inclines the metal in the molds cools so that by the time the bottom-board cars reach the point 30 the castings are in fit condition to be shaken out. Fromthe point 30 the tracks 21a and 21b extend farther forwardly and are declined for a short distance to th. points 32, where they terminate, the rails however at those points registering with the rails 332l and 33b of the bottom-board car drops which are so arranged as to permit said rails 33 and 33b to pivotallyv move on the pivotal points 34 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 where said rails register with the lower bottom-board car return tracks 35 and 35b respectively, the track 35a being arranged under` the track 21 and complet-ing -Intermediate the two bottom-board car drops isarranged the shake-out 36 which is substantially of the same height as the tops of the bottom-board cars standing on Vthe rails 33a and 33h when in their horizon- -tal position.

The shake-out comprises a platform constructed of spaced, longitudinally disposed bars.

' 'Extending transversely across the shakeout and the two bottom-board car' drops is an over-head track 37 upon which is mounted a wheeled carrier from which is suspended an air lift38. This lift is provided with means for engaging a mold'on one of the bottom-board cars. said lift said mold may be raised and transported inwardly to the shake-out, turned one-quarter around if desired, and lowered upon said shake-out. The lift may then be connected to the cope and the same lifted from the drag, when the conditions will be appropriate for the shaking out of the castings.

Arranged underneath the railsV of the shake-out are fingers 39 adapted to be projected upwardly between the bars of the shake-out by means of an' air cylinder 40 or its equivalent, the said fingers being adapted to pass through the sand in the drag, to

engage the casting and throw the same up- By means of 4 0 bottom-board car lifts 19a Aand 19b which 55 when a returned bottom-board car with an wardly and outof the dragtoward the rear end of the apparatus. lThe construction of this portion of the apparatus will' be made more clear by reference to `Fig. 12 where the fingers 39 are shown in their lower position in full lines and in their upwardly projected position in dotted lines. ing will thus be thrown upon the inclined portion 41 of the shake-out down which it will slide to the lower horizontal portion 42 where it may be taken in vcharge by the chaplet chippers.

ported outwardly to the waiting bottomboard car on the bottom-board car drop. The empty flask having been deposited upon said car, the drop on which the saidcar stands is manually tripped so as to permit said car to descend by -gravity onto the return track al or 351- as the case may be. As soon as the -car has been Vpassed onto the lowertrack the rails of the 'drop are re-` turned to the horizontal position to await the n ext mold laden c ar from the cooling run-way. v

It .will be noted that .the tracks 35% and 35b at `first descend at a considerable angle,. but the fall of said tracks becomes less as *they near the back end of the cooling runway andthe said tracks terminate atfthe have been hereinbefore described. 'At the time when the returning bottom-board car l reaches one of the lifts 19a or 19b the Isaid lift should be in the lowered position so that the car may be readily raised to the upper level, where the said car may receive the parts of the flask and start upon its way over the pouring platform and cooling run-way,l as above described.

. It will be noted that at the front ends .of the flask return belts 12a .and 12b are the rollers 44a and 44b adjacent the lifts 19l and 19b and t-he rollers k45and45b are at the opposite ends ofsaid belts. At the time empty ask thereon is on the. rails 35a and 351 at the lifts 19v or 19h, and just previous to the raising of such car by said lift, the empty fiask thereon should be stripped from .the bottom-board ca r and drawn onto the rollers 44and 44b'w hence said flask may be moved onto the belt llor 12b for transpor' tation to the back end of the molding table,

' where it lwill be rolled ont-o the'rollers 45a' Aplacing them upon the pattern cars.

The casttion.

and 45b tov await thel action of the air lift 13 in raising the two parts of the same and The stripping of said flasks vfrom said bottomboard cars may be'accomplished by hand if desired," although it is preferable to provide mechanical means forsuch action. The constructionof such mechanical means is not herein claimed and will therefore not be described, there being various possible constructions well adapted to accomplish the result. The operation of the flaskstripping means may becontrolled either manually or automatically as desired, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. It will be understood that as the castings roll or slide down the inclined portion 41 of the shake-out and-onto the lowerhorilzontal. portionA 42 considerable sand adhermg to said castings will be loosened, which sand will fall kbetween the bars of said portions 41'and 42. Beneath the shake-out is the sand pit 46 into which the-sand from the portions 41 and 42 falls directly, 'the shakeout and its accompanying structures-being supported on framework permitting the sand to fall without unnecessary obstruc- The sand deposited uponthe riddle passes through s aid riddle and into the mixer 47 where it is properly tempered and mixed and spilled thrgiighthe bottom opening 48 onto a continuously moving inclined conveyer 49 which co'veyer spills the sand upon the reciprocating riddles 50 through which the sand falls to the continuously moving belt conveyer 51 extending longitudinally and substantially horizontally in t-he median line of the apparatus substantially to thefpoint where the pattern car drop 5 is located where the conveyer 51 spills said sandupon the conveyer 52 which is located at a'lower level than't-he conveyer 51 in order to carry the sand beneath the said pattern car drop and the molding table and pattern car loop to t-he sand pit 53 into which the said lconveyer/52 discharges said sand and from which pit a continuously moving elevator 54 raises the sand and de- VeyerA 56 which carries it to the molding sand hopper 16 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4.

Extending frontwardly from the shakeout is longitudinally disposed a continu- 4ously moving belt conveyer 57 upon both -sides of which are arranged a number of tumbling barrels 57".

Below the extreme forward end of the conveyer 57 Ais a casting chute 58. As the castings are taken from the portion 42 of the shake-out and the chaplets chipped from said castings they are placed in the said barrels 57", from which they are taken after cleaning andplaced upon the conveyer 57 This conveyer de- `posits it in a rotating hexagonal riddle 55 lthrough which it passes onto the belt conpouring table as hereinbefore described. As'

posits said castings in the chute 58 which conveys them to the lower level where gate grinders at the point 59 grind the gates from the same and otherwise finish themif necessary. i A

The operation of the apparatus, in so far as not hereinbefore described, is as follows: Let it be assumed that a pattern carwith a drag thereon is moving forwardly along the track 2 and has received the appropriate amount of sand, the proper ramming and necessary attention to prepare the drag portion of the mo'ld. When said car reaches the pattern car drop 5 the lift 18 is operated to raise the drag from the car, roll it over, transport it to an empty bottom-board car awaiting on the track 20 above the .lift 191 upon which bottom-board car said drag is deposited, the pattern car drop 5 being meanwhile operated to allow the empty pattern car to return on the track 7 underneath-the molding table to the rear end of the pattern car loop. The ysecond pattern car bearing a dragfollows the irst o ne and i by means of theblift 18 is placed upon a waiting bottom-board car on the track 20h, the pattern car drop again acting to return the empty pattern car by the track 'l'. The next pattern car will carry a cope and when said car arrives at the drop 5 the lift 18 will be used to lift said cope and place it upon the drag already upon the bottomboard car on the track 20a. The bottomboard car on said track will then carry aA completed mold and may be pushed onto the track 21awhere it is taken up by the chain 29a and moved forwardly onto the soon as the track 20a has discharged its loaded car onto the track 21a a new empty bottom-board car is raised by the lift 19-a from the track 35a and placed upon the track 2Oa to await the parts of another mold as previously. In the meantime the second cope has arrived upon its pattern car on the drop 5 and the lift 18 has been operated to con-v vey said cope to the -awaiting car on the vtrack 20h, thus completing the mold upon thatcar, whereupon said car may be moved' forwardly onto the track 21b where it will be taken up by the intermittent chain in connection with `said track and moved forwardly to the pouring table, the lift 19b being dropped to raise another empty bottom-board car from the track 35. In this way, two drags-are followed by two copes in turn followed by two drags and two more copes, the awaiting cars on the tracks 20"jl and 20b being alternately supplied with drag and cope and pushed onto the tracks 2l and 2lb. As before described the cars on the tracks 21a and 21b are moved simultaneously so as to bring two new cars on each track under the top plates 27 simul-' taneously. In this way the work is greatly facilitated, the pouring simplified and a larger output made possible.

l I claim:

1. A molding apparatus comprising a single pattern car loop longitudinally arranged, pattern cars adapted to travel over said pat'- tern car loop, two bottom-board car loops longitudinally arranged, the front end of said patterncar loop adjacent the rear ends of said bottom-board car loops, bottom-board cars adapted to travel on said bottom-board car loops, and means for transferring parts of molds from the pattern cars on said pattern car loop to the bottom-board cars on the bottom-board car loops.

2. A molding apparatus comprising a single vertically disposed pattern car 'loop longitudinally arranged, pattern cars adapted to travel over said pattern car loop, two vertically disposed bottom-board car loops longitudinally arranged, the front end of said pattern car loop being adjacent the rear ends `of said bottom-board car loops, bottom-board 'cars adapted to travelv over said bottomboard car loops, and means for transferring parts of molds from the pattern cars on said pattern `car loop to the bottom-board cars on the said two bottom-board car loops.

3. A molding apparatus comprising a single pattern car loop longitudinally arranged, pattern cars adapted to travel over said pattern car loop, two parallel bottom-board car loops longitudinally arranged, the front end of said pattern car loop being interposed between the rear ends vof said bottom-board car loops, bottom-board cars adapted to travel over said bottom-board car loops, and

means for'transferring parts of molds from said pattern cars to said bottom-board cars.

4. A molding apparatus comprising a single pattern car loop longitudinally arranged, patterncars adapted to travel over said pattern car loop, two parallel bottomboard car loops longitudinally arranged, the front end of said pattern car loop heilig interposed between the rear ends of said bottom-board car loops, bottom-board cars adapted to travel` over said bottom-board car loops, and means at the said front end of said pattern car loop for transferring parts of molds from said pattern cars to said bottom-board cars.

5. A molding apparatus comprising a longitudinally extending pattern car loop. pattern cars carrying patterns, said cars adapted to travel along said pattern car loopl` molding apparatus arrang'cd along said loop and adapted to prepare parts of molds upon said pattern cars, two longitudinally disposed bottom-board car loops parallel with each other, bottoln-l'ioard cars adapted to travel on said bottom-board car loops, the rear ends of said loops arranged adjacent the front end of said pattern car loop, meansr for transferring the parts of molds from and pouring apparatus arranged along said bottoin-board loops adjacent the rearends y thereof for pouring said molds.

6. A inolding apparatus comprising a pattern car loop and a. bottom-board car loop,

. portions of the said loops arranged adjacent each other, pat-tern vcars bearing vpatterns and adapted to run over said pattern car loop, bottom-boardears adapted to run over said bottom-board car loop, parts of flasks, llasklifting means adapted to place said parts'upon said pattern cars, molding means adapted bo prepare molds in said flasks on said pattern cars, mold transferringv means adapted to transfer said molds from s said pattern cars to said bottom-board cars,

and flask returning means adapted to return empty flasks from returned bottom-board cars on said bottom-board'car loop to said flask lifting means. y

7. A molding Iapparatus comprising a pattern car loop and a plurality of bottom- 4board car loops, portions of` ,saidv bottomboard car loops arranged adjacent a portion of said pattern car loop, pattern cars bearing patterns on said pattern car loop, bottom-board cars on said bottom-board ear loops, parts of flasks, -flask lifting inea-ns adapted to placesaid parts upon said pattern cars, molding means adapted't-o prepare molds in sfaid flasks While moving along said pattern car loop, mold transferring means adapted to transfer said molds from said pattern cars to the bottom-board cars on the various bottom-board car loops and flask returning means adapted to return empty `flasks from returned bottoni-board cars on each of said bottoni-board car loops to said flask lifting means.

8. A molding apparatus comprisinga single vertically disposed pattern car loop longitudinally arranged, pattern cars adapted to travel front-wardly over the'- upper side of said pattern car loop and backwardly over the under side of'said pat-tern car loop, two vertically disposed bottoni-board 'car loops longitudinally arranged, the "front end of said pattern car loop being adjacent the rear ends of said bottoni-board -car loops,

bottom-board cars adapted to travel frontwardly on the upper sides of said bottomboard 4car loops and backwardly on the under sides of said loops, and means for transferring parts of moldsI .from the pattern cars on said pattern car loop to the bottom-board cars on the said bottoin-board car loops.

9. A molding apparatus comprising a -molding section, a pouring section, a cooling section and a shake-out section all arranged in a longitudinal series in the order mentioned, said molding section provided with a vertically disposed pattern car loop, patof saidmoldin-g section through said pourtern carsA adapted to travel over said'loop and means for preparing molds upon said pattern cars, a plurality of parallel, spaced run-ways extending from the forward end ing'section, through said cooling section, and to said shake-out, return run-Ways extending from said shake-out to the rear end of said run-Ways, `bottom-board cars adapted to run on said run-Ways, means for transfer- 'ring molds from the pattern cars to the bottoni-board cars, said pouring section provided Witli top plates adapted to hold downV the molds during the process of pouring and over-head means for carrying ladles of molten metal for pouring said molds, said cooling section provided With means for moving vthe poured molds tlierealoiig, and said shake-out section provided With means for shaking out the castings from said molds.

l0. A lmolding apparatus comprising a singt` vertically disposed pattern car loop longitudinally arranged, patte'rncars adapted to travel forwardly over the upper side of said loop and backwardly over Athe under -side of said loop, means at the back end of said loop for lifting returned patternicars to the upper side ofl said loop, means at the forwardf'end of said loop for dropping pattern cars from the upper side of said loopv to the lower side of said loop, molding apparatus arranged along the upper side of said loop for making molds upon said pattern cars, twol bottoni-board car loops longitudiiially arranged and having their rear V ends adjacent the forward end of said pa-ttern car loop, bottom-board cars adapted to travel over said bottoni-board car loops, lsuspended, transversely traveling, lifting mea-ns adapted to lift parts o-f molds from said pattern cars and transfer the saine to said bottom-board cars, pouring apparatus for pouring said molds arranged along said bottoni-board car y,loops and shake-out means for shaking out said molds at the forward'll0 end of saidloottonrhoard car loops.

ll. A molding apparatus comprising a molding section, means in-said molding sec'- tion adapted to prepare molds, two vertically disposed, parallel., longitudinally arrangedbottom-board car loops, ar shake-out section, said bottoni-board car loops at their rear ends arranged adjacent said molding section and extending to said shake-out section at their .forward ends, bottom-boardlzo ears `adapted to travel forwardly over the upper sides of said bottom-board car loops and backwardly over the under sides of said `bottom board car loops,'bottom-board car lifts at the 'rear ends of said loops adapted 125 to raise bottom-board cars from the lower sides'of said loops to the upper sides thereof, bottom-board car drops at the forward. ends 'of said loops adapted tofdrop bottoni-board cars from the upper sides of said loops to for pouring said molds arranged along thei upper sides of ,said loops, ineans for transferring said poured molds from said bottom-board cars to said shake-out and means arranged intermediate the bottom-board car loops for returning the sand from said shakeout section to said molding section. i

12. A molding apparatus comprising in combination pattern cars,bottomboard cars, a pattern car loop, said pattern cars adapted to travel over said pattern car loop, said pattern'car loop provided with mold forming devices, a bottom-board car loop, said bottom-board cars adapted to'travel over said bottom-hoard car loop and said loop provided with pouring devices, a cooling section and a shake-out; flasks, means for transferring molds from said pattern cars to said bottom-,board cars and means for transferring said flasks from said bottomboard cars to said pattern cars, whereby said pattern cars travel over one loop, 'said bottom-board cars travel over another loop, and said flasks travel over a course equal to the combined length of both loops.

13. A molding apparatus comprising in combination a longitudinally disposed molding table, flask returning means arranged at the sides of said molding table, a plurality of mold conveying means longitudinally disposed extending from the front end of said molding table frontwardly, flask returning means arranged beneath said mold convey'- ing means and sand returning means for returning sand from the front end of said mold conveying means to said molding table,'

said molding tableA provided with means adapted to prepare molds in` parts of flasks, mold transferring means adapted to transfer molds from said molding table to said mold -conveying means, a shake-outat -the forward end of said mold conveying means adapted to shake-out castings from said molds and to 'direct the sand therefrom to said sand returning means, and means for placing `the returned flasks upon said molding table.

14. In molding apparatus a run-way in the form of a vertically disposed, horizontally elongated loop," bottom-hoard cars mounted upon said loop andadapted to run frontwardly along the upper side and backwardly along the lower side of the same. a` bottom-board car lift at the back end of said loop adaptedv to raise bottom-board cars -from the lower side 4to the upper side of said loop and a bottom-board car drop at the front end of said loop adapted to drop bottom-board cars from the upper side of said loop to the lower side thereof.

15. In molding apparatus a run-way in the form of a vertically disposed, horizontally elongated loop, bottom-board cars mounted upon said loop and adapted to run frontwardly along the uppervside and backwardly `along the lower side ofthe same,

pouring apparatus adaptedto pour-molds arranged adjacent the back end of the upper side of said-loop, a shake-out arranged at the front end of said loop, a bottom-board car lift at the back end of saidloop adapted to raise bottom-board cars from the lower bottom-board car drop at the front end of said loop adapted to drop bottom-board cars from the upper side of said loop to the lower side thereof.

16. In molding apparatus a run-way in the form of a vertically disposed horizontally elongated loop having upper and lower sides, the upper side inclined upwardly from therear to the front end thereof, the lower side inclined downwardly fromthe front to the rear end thereof, bottom-board cars mounted upon said loop, means adapted t0 move said bottom-board cars up the inclined upper side of said'loop to the front end thereof, said bottom-board cars adapted to run by gravity from the front end to the rear end of said lower side, a bottom-board car lift at the back end of said loop adapted -to raise bottom-board cars 'from the lower side to the upper side of said loop and a bottom-board car drop at the front end of said loop adapted to drop bottom-board cars from the upper side of said loop to the lower side thereof.

1'?. ln molding apparat-us a run-way in the form of a vertically disposed, horizontally Ielongated loop having upper and lower sides, the front end of said loop arranged at a higher level than the rear end'l thereof, bottom-board. cars mounted upon said loop, means adapted to move said bottom-board cars along the upper side of said loop from .side to the'upper side of said loopv and a the back to the front end thereof, said bottom-hoard cars adapted to run by gravity from the front end. to the rear end 4of said lower side, means at the back end of said loop adapted to raise bottom-board cars from thelower side to the upper .side of said loop and a bottom-board carudrop at the front end of said loop adapted to drop bottom-board ears from the upper side to the lower side of said loop. Y

1S. ln molding apparatus a run-way in the form of a vertically disposed, horizontally elongated loop, bottom-board cars mounted upon said loop and adapted to run' frontwardly along the upper side and backwardly along the lower side of the same, a bottom-board car lift at the rear end of said loop adapted to raise bottomboard cars from the lower side to the upper side of said loop, a bottom-board car drop at the front end of said loop adapted to drop bottomboardcars from vthe upper side tothe lower side of said loop, means for preparing molds and transferring same to said bottom-board ears, means located adjacent the rear end of said loop for pouring said molds, and means located adjacent the front end of said loop for shaking out said molds, said means comprisingv spaced bars, fingers arranged beneath said bars and adapted to be extended upwardly between the same and into en.-

gagement with a mold placed upon said bars, said fingers being adapted to throw the casting from said mold, and the said bars adapted to permit the sand from said mold f cars from the upper to the lower and from the lower to the upper sides fof said loops resliectively,l molding' apparatus adjacent vthe rear ends of said loops, means for trans- Aferring molds from said molding apparatus to said bottom-boardcarsat `the rear ends of said loops,.the upper sides of said loops passing over. a pouring platform common to both loops and provided with means for pouring said molds, means for moving said cars along said run-ways to the front ends thereof, a shake-out. arranged intermediate the said loops at the front'. ends thereof, means for transferring molds from `the bottoni-board cars at the front ends of said loops to said shake-0ut and for returning the-flasks from said shake-out to said bot-' tom-board cars and conveying means arranged intermediate said loops forconveying sand from said shake-out to the molding apparatus. i

In testimonythat I' claim the above, I

presence of two witnesses.

. IRA V. MACLEAN. Vitnesses: WILLIAM H. MILLER, JOHN H. SPoNsELLER.

have hereunto subscribed my name in the 

